With Patrick Mahomes done for the year and Gardner Minshew also sidelined, the Chiefs are scraping the bottom of the quarterback depth chart.

PublishedDecember 22, 2025 6:00 PM EST•UpdatedDecember 22, 2025 5:22 PM EST

The Kansas City Chiefs are in dire straits.

Not only did they miss the NFL Playoffs this year for the first time since 2014, but they also lost superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL last week. And as a cherry on top of this crap sundae, QB2 Gardner Minshew went down on Sunday with a knee injury of his own. Now, a fella named Chris Oladokun is slated to start under center for the Chiefs on Christmas Day.

Who?

Exactly.

But, like a cowboy on a white horse in an old western film, a hero emerges from the shadows. Matt Cassel is ready to suit up and get under center for KC.

"Seeing a lot [of] people mentioning me going to the Chiefs," Cassel wrote on X on Sunday. "Arm’s loose. Phone line’s open."

Cassel played 14 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a backup. And even though he hasn't taken a snap since 2018, he still seems to think he's in good enough shape to run with the big dogs.

And why the heck not? If 44-year-old Philip Rivers can jump in and play quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts — who still actually have a very slim chance to sneak into the postseason — why can't 43-year-old Matt Cassel finish out the season for the battered and broken 6-9 Chiefs?

After all, he does have a history with the franchise.

Cassel played four seasons for the Chiefs (2009-2012), started in 47 of the 48 games he played there and even earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2010. He went 10-5 as a starter that season while throwing for 3,116 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Matt Cassel spent four of his 14 NFL seasons with the Chiefs.

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Of course, Cassel is probably joking. He probably doesn't actually expect Andy Reid and the Hunt family to come knocking.

But hey, we've seen wilder things happen. And it's hard to imagine that prime time game against the Broncos on Thursday could go any worse.